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In No Mans Land
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In No Mans Land
" In No Mans Land: The Dread Territory Which Belongs to Neither German nor Briton" Royal engineers, working in the dark of No Mans Land to construct barbed wire barriers in front of British trenches, are exposed by German magnesium flares, giving this illustration a Caravaggioesque quality. Such work was extremely risky, or " nervy", as one Royal Engineer described it to The Times. He went on to say, "..it is done in the open and out of the kindly cover afforded by a trench... fortunate indeed is the working party if the enemy does not hear the sound of the picket being driven into the ground and open fire..." Flares lasted for 15 seconds, an eternity for men who had to throw themselves flat to the ground and lie inert until darkness returned. Bruce Bairnsfather depicted a similar situation in a cartoon accompanied by a quote from Wolfams aria in Tannhauser. " Oh star of eve, whose tender bean Falls on my spirits troubled dream." Date: 1915
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Media ID 14117044
© Illustrated London News/Mary Evans
Barbed Danger Dangerous Engineer Engineers Flare Flares Laying Lighting Magnesium Mans Matania Trench Trenches Warfare Wire
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In No Man's Land - A Caravaggioesque Moment of War
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures a moment of intense danger and determination during the First World War. The scene unfolds in the treacherous terrain of No Man's Land, the deadly expanse between opposing trenches that belonged to neither German nor British forces. Royal Engineers are at work here, constructing barbed wire barriers in front of British trenches to protect their soldiers from enemy advances. The photograph's dramatic lighting, reminiscent of Caravaggio's chiaroscuro technique, is created by German magnesium flares. These flares, which illuminated the battlefield for just 15 seconds, expose the engineers in the foreground, while the darkness of No Man's Land looms ominously behind them. The contrast between light and shadow adds a sense of tension and unease, heightening the sense of danger. The work of the Royal Engineers in No Man's Land was extremely risky, as one engineer described to The Times. "It is done in the open and out of the kindly cover afforded by a trench," he said. "Fortunate indeed is the working party if the enemy does not hear the sound of the picket being driven into the ground and open fire." The engineers' precarious position is further emphasized by the quote from Wolfram's aria in Tannhäuser that accompanies a similar scene in a cartoon by Bruce Bairnsfather. "Oh star of eve, whose tender beam falls on my spirits troubled dream," the quote goes, a poignant reminder of the fragile hope that sustained soldiers in the face of such danger. This photograph, taken in 1915, offers a haunting glimpse into the harsh realities of trench warfare during the First World War. It is a poignant reminder of the courage and determination of the soldiers who risked their lives to protect their comrades and secure a victory for their country.
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